Winter And Other Perils

Last winter taught my wife and I hard lessons. I thought about this when I read about electro - magnetic pulses and the warning of a hard winter coming. What we learned:
Have a plastic Jerry can of water.
If you hate chlorine taste, have bottled water.
Have enough gasoline on hand.
Your fireplace helps, but not a lot.
Get at least one kerosene heater and plenty of fuel.
Do not store kerosene heaters with fuel in them.
Keep stater fluid spray for the generator you need to have.
Have one or two rain barrels.
Have a chainsaw.
Have emergency food.
Boxwood stoves are not that good to cook or boil water on.
Have a big pot to set on the edge of your fireplace for hot water.
Your wood won't last as long as you think.
Your neighbors will not be ready.
Have light sources for power outtages, such as fluorescent or kerosene.
Batteries!

Those "free with coupon" little LED flashlights from Harbor Freight are fantastic. Put one in each bathroom, next to the bed, living room, etc. Just turning one on and pointing it at the ceiling will put out a surprising amount of light. You can read by them at night.

A propane camp stove is very good to have. You basically have a 1 burner kitchen stove with that. About $30 on amazon. Have a few cylinders handy, but one cylinder will last the better part of a week for cooking and coffee.

A refrigerator will stay cold for a couple days if you don't open it. A $150 inverter from HF hooked to your car battery will run the refrigerator if you have to.

Buy a "Baby Ben" wind up alarm clock.

Get a mini battery powered combination TV and DVD player. Around a hundred bucks. Radio is almost useless if there's no power because almost all radio is remote controlled and satellite fed. TV still has local info.

Former in-laws that lived in the high elevations of northern Arizona always had a pile of coal, plenty of dry goods and lard on hand. It wasn't if but when and how long they would be snowed-in every winter.

My X had a crusty old uncle that never finished grammar school. It was either 4th or 6th grade he reached. Despite his lack of education. He did pretty good for himself with a trucking business. Contracting with mines hauling ore from mines to railroad cars with a fleet of old trucks. He told me of one winter he was stuck for several weeks living off of pea soup and lard fried lima beans.